Africa Travel Co

ATC 57 Day African Adventure

We have just finished ATC 57 Day Cape Town to Nairobi overland trip, and though the staff on the ground for the most part were very good, the actual organisation of the trip certainly does not provide the best value or experience on the market. Parts of the trip were disorganised, very expensive comparative with other companies, meals paid for were not made available, suppliers used by ATC were slipshod in their attention to detail and expensive.

Booking through On The Go Tours we were informed that there was no way that optional excursions could be paid for in advance, we were therefore surprised and annoyed to find that other travellers on our trip using a Dutch Agent had all major excursions included in the price.

Itineraries supplied by different agents for the tour were slightly different and this caused confusion with at least one out of the three trip leaders we had, and meant last minute changes in plan.

Changes in tour leaders, cooks and driver also meant meals paid for were not provided, and we actually had to pay for a meal at the ATC Nairobi campsite that was included in our package. The new tour leader indicated he would investigate this with the office but no further comment was provided by the tour leader or ATC.

Campsites had been changed comparative to the itinerary supplied and due to not camping inside national park game viewing opportunities were lost. If using ATC ensure that any changes in itinerary do not affect the paid for activities.

Equipment used especially on the first two parts of the trip were "well used" to say the least, and in my opinion the cooks knives on the final part were dangerous to use and unhygienic with handles falling apart.

Optional tours with third party supplies were found to be 25% more expensive than other operators offering better value both at Victoria Falls and Swakopmund, which given the amount of business generated by the overland tours was disappointing to learn. If you use ATC I would strongly urge you to shop around at both these places.

Tour teeshirts out of the four ordered from ATC recommended supplies two in Kampala and two in Vic falls, none were provided as agreed with the suppliers representative, which was very disappointing.

We did go to all the places within the itinerary, and much of the trip was enjoyable, however, if we were to repeat this trip we would use alternative companies which offer similar itineraries. Do not be fooled by the cheap upfront price, by the time all optional extras are included it is certainly no cheaper than going with others who include these in the upfront price.

Review from a 3 week tour of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Jan 2016

Review from a 3 week tour of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Jan 2016.

Before I begin the review of atc, I wanted to make note that many of overland tours are similar in terms of itinerary, food, vehicle, etc. What really makes or breaks the trip are the people. If you have a bad group (whether crew or passengers), that's really what's going affect you the most.

I did not have a good group - a lot of negative people, complainers who really should have not booked a budget camping tour in Africa but they were too cheap to do an upgraded so instead chose to complain about everything.The point of this is, you can't really base your decision to go with a company based on reviews.

Anyways, overall everything advertised in the itinerary was delivered but I don't think itinerary was transparent about the amount of time spent on the truck. It would have good to include approximate distance and time travelled each day would be good so passengers are informed beforehand (not during) of how much time they'll actually be spending on the truck. I would estimate 3/4 of the time was the truck.

The food mediocre Less processed ingredients should be provided and definitely more variety. There should have been opportunity to try local food but there was none, that was hugely disappointing. Instead of buying crappy food from the supermarket, why not take us a local restaurant once in a while? The crew did not eat what we ate for lunch. They would get local food. In one instance we stopped right in front of a restaurant (where the crew ate, yet we were given the same old thing) and ridiculously overpriced souvenir shop (e.g. quote given for a small wooden statue - $400), absolutely ridiculous.

The overland truck was sufficient though had there been more passengers, I definitely would not be happy being cramped on that truck for the amount of time were on there. The truck itself looked/felt dirty but because it's dated and old but the driver did clean it.

Campsites were in good condition and most (if not all) had an option to upgrade, hot water and wifi (though often didn't work) and bar/restaurant. Tents and sleeping mats were durable, good quality, though stinky because you often have to pack them up when they're still wet from condensation or rain.

Aside from the driver, I didn't find the crew to be friendly or approachable. They did not interact with the group and were aloof and to be quite honest had a chip on their shoulder. I felt that we were a nuisance to them and they couldn't be bothered with us, and it often felt they were talking about us in Swahili. I certainly didn't feel at ease with them. I also didn't feel any effort was put into the trip, just the bare minimum just to say they did it. It didn't come across that the leader and cook enjoyed their jobs.Having said that, the cook did provide us with a hot breakfast everyday even if that meant waking up at 4am.

The payment method was ridiculously complicated and unnecessary. It should be the crew's responsibility to ensure they have the required local payment, not for passengers to be carrying US$ for local payment.

However, my biggest complaint is about being overcharged (and feeling ripped off). For one, the prices for the optional excursion were much higher than should have been. We paid $500 (plus tips for the guides, cooks, etc) for 2 days for the Serengetti excursion, yet others I met during my travels paid the same amount for a 4 day tour! In Zanzibar, the spice tour was $40 with ATC yet I got it for $15 on my own (lunch and transportation included) only 3 other pax. All the Zanzibar excursions were double if not triple the prices. The whole point of going with a group was cheaper prices but ATC charges the same or more.

I also don't understand what the local payment went towards. I paid equivalent of $80USD/day. Campsites cost $5 (according to tour leader), the food purchased cannot possibly be more than $15/person/day - even that is a high estimate. Fuel, I'm not sure how much that would be but certainly not $60/person/day. Most days were spent on the bus (no entrance fees or other costs). So what was that money used for?

Hope this helps others in deciding.

What started out in frustration ended in satisfaction.

This is a follow up to a previous review posted several weeks ago regarding lost keys. At that point, I felt that Africa Travel Co. had chosen to forget about the matter. I was pleased to receive a follow up email from Matt at ATC informing me that they hadn't forgotten. They arranged for a U.S. traveler to bring the keys back to the States and then mail them to me domestically. This unfortunate episode will fade. What won't fade are the remarkable memories of the trip. Our tour dynamics were amazing. Will, our guide was sarcastic and fantastic. His knowledge and love of Africa was obvious. He, along with our driver Stevie and our cook Monga created an inclusive environment for a pretty diverse tour group. We brought our two teenage sons and were concerned that there wouldn't be anyone for them to interact with. It was just the opposite. This was very much a family trip and all of the kids bonded quickly. As has been stated in other reviews, this is not a trip for everyone. ATC makes that clear in their materials. It's a trip that demands participation and engagement. After sleeping under African stars, you're up early and moving all day. You're pitching in to help clean, cook and manage the campsite. I found this expectation to be a bonding agent and not a chore. If you have an adventurous spirit and a lot of energy, then you should be good to yourself and take this trip with ATC.

Terrible tour company

I booked a 10 day overland safari with Africa Travel Co and I've just had a terrible experience which caused me to leave the tour early.

I came down with food poisoning (probably from the unsanitary cooking conditions) and the tour leader Francis dropped me off in the dark at a gas station in Uganda. I had to call the local hotel to send someone to take me to the hospital. I had severe dehydration and was immediately put on an IV. Francis had wanted me to wait until Nakuru (13 hour+ drive) to see a doctor. Not only was I left alone as a single female in the dark but I was very sick.

The tour itself is budget and gross. Most days are spent driving. A colleague used a much nicer company, Nomad, and had a great time with more stops and activities. Keep yourself safe and use a different company.

They are a very affordable overlanding trip company.

Rude and dismissive guide

It pains me to write a bad review! I took the trip from Dar Es Salaam all the way down to Cape Town, with two different sets of staff: tour guide, cook and bus driver. I can't say enough good things about the second part of the trip, from Victoria Falls to Cape Town. The campsites were beautiful, the food was AMAZING and our guide was extremely knowledgeable. However, the first few weeks of the trip were quite painful, due to our terrible tour guide. He was rude, talked back to customers, wouldn't tell us how long the bus trip would be, and openly mocked customers. My bag got stolen at one campsite (no one's fault at all!) and I couldn't find our tour guide to tell him, he was at the pub having a drink. When I did tell him, he simply kept saying that it 'was not possible' and refused to help in any way at all. I had to contact the reception team at ATC to get a letter (they were quick, sympathetic and professional.)

Overall, my experience was good regarding the campsites, food, locations, and administrative staff. However our guide was so terrible for the first three weeks that it is impossible for me to give ATC more than two stars. :( If you are considering booking a tour, ensure that your tour guide is NOT Frances. I'm sure the rest of the guides are great, and this is just one bad apple. Ensure that Frances is not your guide before leaving.

Lying

The bus was robbed and they took no responsibility. No compensation or anything. Here's what happened:

We stopped at Tubatse Crossing Mall. 2 trucks full of white people on their expensive phones with transparent windows. Even a blind person could spot us from miles. We were parking relatively far from the entrance because the public parking has a height limit that we couldn’t pass. No worries, we can walk a few minutes to the Mall entrance. They say to leave everything on the bus. Why? Because they are going to take care of it while we’re in the Mall. And we do, as they say. I believe most of us did. With only my phone and headphones in my pocket, we go to “hunt” some food in the Mall.

45 minutes later we arrive back. I see some people worried, and I hear somebody saying “Oh my God! Some backpacks are missing.” I was like definitely not mine, the most important backpack where we have ALL our combined documents, cards, passports… That cannot be happening. Then I run up the bus and to my worst nightmare, my backpack was gone. I was running up the other bus, hoping I’m an idiot, and confused my seat but no. It was gone. I come down, I start kicking the metal fence in my anger, and after rage asking the tour operators about where’s my backpack from this safe bus, I’m confronted with what happened.

While we were gone, they left 1 guy alone to take care of the 2 trucks. Trucks where each backpack had at least one laptop or iPad if not more. More than $100.000 on wheels. They thought that it was a good idea to leave a single unarmed man with all this value. And of course, 6 guys came with weapons, threatened him to open up one of the buses, ran up, and took whatever they could. Of around 50 bags 5 were stolen, and mine was one of them.

In the loving memory of my personal belongings that I believe I’ll never see again, here’s what was in the Nomatic backpack:
16” MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB, Oculus Quest 2, GoPro Hero 8, JBL Flip 6, Electric toothbrushes, around $1.000 in cash, cables, clothes, and even my favorite underwear.
Total value around $5.000. Still, this is something relatively easily replaceable.

The most painful part was that all of our combined documents with Mila were gone too. And when I say all, I mean it: Both Passports, Residence permit, Driving license, ID cards, 6 bank cards including our corporate one, and even my Albert Hein Bonus card.

We didn’t have luggage for months now to travel light, so I was left there stripped from all my belongings except what I had on me. There were 6 of us affected and 3 of us couldn’t continue the trip to the next country because of the lost Passports. So we couldn’t attend the 10-day

I wouldn't trade the wonderful adventure and experience that we had for anything!

I would give this a 5 star rating but am giving it a 4 star because it was a budget tour - not anyone's or anything's fault. The itinerary was perfect and generous, and I would not have been there had it not been for the affordability. If you like luxury and don't like rustic, this is probably not the place for you and you should plan to spend a lot more money. We were camping and if you like to camp and help cook/clean/pack/unpack - this was an absolute joy. Go with a positive and adventuresome spirit and you will LOVE it!

I would like to add that my friends and I did this together and we are in our 60's while most of the travelers are young - probably due to affordability. I think it is important to be fairly fit and healthy.

Not a good value

The advertised 10 day itinerary was actually 8.5 days.
If you don't do the optional tours, you'll be alone at camp for 15-20 hours over the trip.
If you do do the optional tours, the price of the trip doubles.
Pressure to tip. Even forced to tip $10pp once.

Bus: It's dirty because it doesn't get deep cleaned. It's dangerous because it's just a plywood shell with plate glass windows all around (good view though). And it broke down so we were stranded by the highway.

Guide: It felt like the tour guide and/or operator were going from kickback to kickback.

Cook: 3 out of 5 stars. Lunch was nasty sandwiches.

Safari: Incredible. Chobe is an awesome place, and the drivers (3rd party) are good at what they do.

Africa: Great experience, don't let ATC jeopardize it.

Badly planned itinerary

Travelled from Vic Falls in Zimbabwe to Zanzibar. Apart from the first two and last two days the itenerary was planned very poorly. Back to back days of 7-13 hrs driving with 4AM wake up and getting to the next camp just to have dinner and go to bed is far from the great experience we expected from trip notes. The whole group felt the same. Half of camps were completely unnecessary and this trip requires serious improvement to make it at least half enjoyable.